Café du Cycliste Yolande Merino jersey review

Café du Cycliste's Yolande jersey is a hefty bit of kit, built for cold rides. It's equipped with a heavier than usual yarn to keep you warm when the temperature drops.

Style is the most noticeable aspect of the Yolande jersey: it's seriously chunky with some distinctive design elements, including elbow patches and shoulder pads.

It's thick-cut, which means it's warm but a little difficult to pair with your wardrobe. On cold days you could get away wearing it under a heavy winter jacket but it'd be seriously warm.

It's perhaps best kept for cool dry days, which is what Café du Cycliste suggests. They believe it's suitable for riding from autumn to spring when it can be paired with a gilet, meaning you can add a second layer and not forgo mobility.

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Some might argue it's overdesigned for a jersey, and the added material on the shoulders gives the impression of shoulder pads which won't be to everyone's taste.

In reality I found they didn't really serve much of a purpose, perhaps making it a little more comfortable to ride with a rucksack on morning commutes.

Likewise, the elbow patches won't be to everyone's tastes, nor will the thumb loops and extended fabric on the arms.

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Due to my own ailments, these were a source of discomfort for me from day one. Sadly, countless crashes mean my hands are prone to cramping when wearing thumb loops.

It terms of technical performance, it's an admirable performer.

Thanks to the Merino fabric, the Yolande jersey is nicely insulating and will keep you warm when on the bike. You also won't chill too much when you're having a coffee break mid-ride.

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The Merino fabric also means it never gets stinky. This is both great for you as it cuts down on washing as well as for your mates, who don't have to smell you on a Sunday morning.

It could be a little more protected in the crook of the arms where wind was able to creep through the fabric. However, this never caused discomfort.

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The Yolande also comes with a nice long tail that gives great rear protection, as well as a reinforced front zip for keeping the wind out.

In fact, it's a standout jersey in the pocket department, coming equipped with two zipped pockets – one on the front and one on the rear.

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Equally, I was overjoyed to see the inclusion of a pump sleeve in the middle rear pocket which held even less compact pumps in place.

However, despite testing my usual size small, I did struggle with the fit.

It's too loosely cut across the front, meaning the chest sags when leant over the bars. Similarly, it's baggy on the arms, without a tight enough fit for my liking.

I'm sure some of this is due to it's more casual styling, and it's definitely a jersey trying to have both function and form in one package. Despite this, there's definitely room to tweak the cut and slim it down.